Together with two FRA sister reports on the
EU’s air and southern sea borders, this report’s findings serve to inform EU and Member State practitioners and
policy makers of fundamental rights challenges that can emerge at land borders. Increased awareness should
also help to create a shared understanding among border guards of what fundamental obligations mean for
their daily work, ultimately enhancing fundamental rights compliance at the EU’s external borders.

The situation at land border crossing points into the EU has received less attention than Europe’s southern sea borders, where migrants’ lives are at risk. Although FRA research shows that land border checks of third-country nationals are generally conducted routinely and take place without incident, a number of challenges affect travellers’ fundamental rights. These range from disrespectful treatment to the failure to identify persons in need of protection. Such challenges must not be neglected.